NPPA issues notice to curb overcharging on medical instruments

National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority issued a statement to hospitals on Tuesday that hereafter, Stent companies and hospitals must upload revised price list of cardiac stents on their respective websites in three working days.

NPPA has been closely monitoring the compliance to price fixed on Coronary stents, in addition to availability of stents of all brands and generations in hospitals.

Letters regarding the same have been sent to Chief Secretaries of states and State Drug Controllers (SDC) to ensure smooth compliance. Additionally, SDCs will be monitoring the situation in hospitals from time to time.

Manufacturers and importers have been notified to issue revised price lists after price capping and send the same to all distributors, in addition to SDC and NPPA.

Furthermore, the revised lists must be displayed in all hospital premises for public information, under Para 24(4) of Drug Price Control Orders, 2013.

Along with this, Maximum Retail Price (MRP) of all stents being billed must be displayed on the hospitals' home page of the website, as per orders from NPPA.

The notice has been sent out after complaints were lodged over the past month regarding excessive pricing on medication and devices.